Samuel johnston



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. JOHNSTON.

HARVESTING AND BINDING MAGHINE. No. 338,273. PatentedMar. 23. 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheef2.

S. JOHNSTON.

HARVESTING AND BINDING MACHINE.

Patented 10:31.23, 1886 N. PETERS. Phcto-Lilhogmphen Waihinglnn. n. c.

3 Sheets-Shet 3.

(No Model.)

S. JOHNSTON.

HARVESTING AND BINDING MACHINE.

d Mar. 23, ],8

Pate

N. versus mwumu nmr, Wnhingmn, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL JOHNSTON, OF BROOKPORT, NEIV YORK.

HARVESTING AND BINDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,273, dated March 23, 1886.

Application filed November 13, 1885. Serial No. 182,651.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brockport, in the county of Monroe, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in'Harvesting and Binding Machines.

My invention has reference to harvesting and binding machines; and it consists in certain improvements, all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

In constructing my improved harvester and binder I employ a stationary receiving-platform provided with a suitable vibrating collecting device, working conjointly with a vibrating packing device to collect and pack the cut grain gathered upon the platform by the revolving rake-arms or heaters and place it in the stationary binder located in the rear part of the machine. The said collect ing device and packer describe segments of circles and move in opposite directions, to the end that each successive gavel or beaterful of grain shall be collected together on the platform and delivered by the packer into the binder, each gavel or beaterful of grain being kept separate until delivered into the said binder. Moreover, each bundle is, while being bound, kept distinct from the succeeding portion of the grain forming part of the next bundle. In combination with these collecting and packing devices, I provide a suitable vibrating butting-board, the function of which is to make a uniform and even but-t to the bundle, and at the same time securea proper central position for the band. The binding mechanism is automatically put into action, after the bundle has assumed a given size, through the medium of a starting-lever, against which the bundle is pressed by the packer, which starting -]ever controls the clutch device connecting the binding mechanism with the driving-gear; or the binder may be started by other mechanism.

In addition to the foregoing features in the construction of my improved harvester and binder, there are a number of important details of construction, fully referred to in the general description hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to form a (No model.)

compact, durable, and cheaply constructed low-down harvester and binder, in which the parts shall be suitably balanced and the cut grain shall be treated in gavels separately until it is formed into a bundle, and each bundle (composed of one or more gaveis) is formed and discharged separate and distinct from the next succeeding gavel, which is to form part of the succeeding bundle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view looking from the rear of a harvestingmachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line no a: of Fig. 2, and shows a side view of the packer. Fig. 4 is a erosssection on line 2 z of Fig. 5, and shows part of the clutch mechanism for starting the binder. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of same on line 3/ y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the cams for operating the binding and discharging mechanism; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation, with part broken away, of the device for tilting the plat-form.

A is the drive-wheel, and B is its shaft.

O and O are spurwheels, and D D bevelgears, through which power is transmitted from the drive-shaft B to the knife-bar crank 01, which reciprocates the knife-bar g, supported and carried by the fingerbar f, as is customary.

E is the frame of the machine, and may be made in any suitable manner, that shown being, perhaps, most suitable.

F is the main receiving-platform, and is provided on its ends with the outer divider, G, and inner divider, G.

Between the platform F and the cutter-bar I prefer to provide a reeling bar or space, F which is preferably slightly-inclined, as indicated in Fig. 3. This bar or space is about one foot or fourteen inches wide. The cam which guides the reel-arms should be so constructed that the teeth of each reel arm or beater pass in close proximity to and follow the surface of this bar before the reelarms rise to complete their revolution to the front of the machine. The effect of making, each reel-arm pass thus across the reelingbar is that an immediate and complete severance of the grain brought on by each beateris effected and draggling or tangling between the gavels brought in by successive beaters is avoided.

I prefer to incline the bar F so that the rear shall rise a few inches above the level of the main portion of the platform F, to aid in effecting a complete separation between the gavels brought in by each successive beater.

The arrangement for removing the grain from the platform F into the binder is such that immediately after a gavel or portion of grain is deposited by each reel beater or arm onto the plat-form F that portion so deposited is removed.and carried to the binder and packed under the needle-arm separate and distinct from any other portion of incoming grain.

The bundle may be composed of one,two,or more beatersful. Each beaterful is packed in the binder separately. The number of beatersful which will be contained in any one bundle will depend on the thickness of the grain being cut and the size of the bundle desired, the binding mechanism being brought into operation when the desired quantity for a bundle is packed under the needlearm, whether it be one, two, or more beatersful. This distinct removal and packing is effected by two arms, M and N, each pivoted at the rear of the platform, the arm N, carrying thetoothed wheel,in its reciprocation passing over the gathering-arm M,which arms vibrate or reciprocate alternately toward and from each other. WVhile reciprocating toward each other the cut grain on the platform is collected toward the middle of the platform, and while they vibrate from each other the grain is all carried by the arm N toward the binder to a point in front of teeth Z, and by a succeeding vibration of the arm N this grain is carried into and packed in the binder. When the arms M and N are vibrated apart from each other to their limit, the platform F is left clear and free to receive a new portion of incoming grain from the next gathering rake-arm or beater. The movement of the vibrating arms M and N is in exact unison with the movement of the reel arms or beaters, so that while each reel-arm is depositing its portion of grain on the platform F the arms M and N are at their maximum distance apart, and before the succeeding reel-arm makes its deposit on the platform F the arms M and N have approached together and receded, moving the deposited gavel from the front of the platform F. The gavels deposited on the platform are kept separate until they reach the binder, and when the binder has received the complement of grain to form a bundle there is a clear space under the needle-arm (between the bundle about to be formed and the next succeeding gavel) free from grain. Into this clear space the needlearm descends in the act of binding the bundle. By the organization and arrangement of my machine, this unison of action between the reelarms which gather the grain onto the platform and the collecting-arm M and packingarm N, each beaterful of incoming grain is separately removed and packed in the binder and the needle-arm descends into a clear space. This arrangement and organization constitutes a leading feature ofmy invention.

The arrangement of the several parts of m machine is as follows:

F is the grain-wheel which supports the outer end of the machine. Hinged to the rear of the platform F at M is an arm, M, having its free end armed with teeth m, so that when the said arm is moved across the platform, describing an arc of a circle, the grain is swept in the direction of the binderthat is to say, from the grain side toward the stubble side of the machine.

G2 are guards under which the armM passes, and by which the grain is insured to fall upon the platform clear of the teeth m, and prevent the grain from being thrown back off the platform. The arm M is vibrated by a link, 0, placed below the platform, and which connects up through a curved slot, 0, in the platform F with the collecting arm M. This link 0 is connected at its other end to a crank, O, which is rotated by bevel-gears J and H, connecting with the driveshaft B.

N is a packer-carrying arm, which is pivoted at N. distance above the platform. The arm N is connected with the arm M by means of the segmental gears N and 1W. The reciprocations of the arm M cause a corresponding reciprocation of the arm N in an opposite direction, so that these arms approach and pass each other slightly, and then recede from each other during their respective movements. The free end of the arm N is provided with the packing-teeth W, the lower portions of which are provided with pivoted pawls W, which run upon or close to the platform and push the grain toward the binding-arm when the arm N is moving in one direction, and pass over the grain when it vibrates in the other direction. These teeth are preferably four in number, and located between two or more of them, and journaled upon the end of the arm N, are the wheels X, having their peripheries provided with fingers or teeth 20. These wheels X are loosely supported upon the arm N, and are provided with ratchets X, with which springpawls Y engage to prevent. the said wheels X rotating when the arm N is vibrating toward the binder, but allow of the rotation of X when the arm N is passing over the opposite arm M, so as to roll over the cut grain collected at the center of the platform. The toothed wheels X are preferably held against rotation when approaching the arm M by the pressure of the spring-pawls Y or by friction, so that when moving from the position shown in Fig. 2 toward the center of the platform the toothed wheels X sweep or gather the grain as delivered by the rake'arms toward the middle of the platform and toward the approaching armM Thus by the combined action of arms Nand M the out grain as delivered by the heaters is compacted at or near the middle of the platform. \Vhen the grain This arm N is supported some platform F between the two arms M and N being then left entirely clear for the reception of the next incoming beaterful of grain. The next vibration of the arm N causes the packer-pawls V to pass over the grain lying at one side of the platform, held by the teeth Z, Upon the next vibration of the arm N the last laid gavel is carried by the toothed wheels X beyond the teeth Z, and by the same vibration of N the previous laid gavel is pushed forward by the packing-pawls WV into the binder under the guard G and binder-arm P, and against the movable stop lever S In conjunction withthe vibrating arm N, which carries the gavel toward the binder and packs it in the binder, I employ a movable butting-board, which straightens each gavel at the butt in the interval while the packing or teeth pawls W XV W are carried by the packer-carrying arm N from the binder, passing over the grain lying in front of the teeth Z and under the guard G. L is the said buttingboard, which is connected by links L, so that it is caused to swing in such a manner as to act upon the butts of each gavel as it is left upon the platform and before it is carried by the packerpawls W \V WV into the binder, causing the butts to be moved backward, and at the same time pushing any extending grain longitudinally, evening the butts, as shown in Fig. 2, and also insuring the particular location of the band desired. This board L to the frame of the harvesting ma- I chine, are substantially parallel, each acting as a radius bar or link and causing the butting-board to have a lateral parallel movement as an incident to its longitudinal reciprocations, which are imparted by the rotating crank K and link K. The longitudinal move ments of the butting'board cause it to travel with the grain toward the binder and the lateral parallel movements thereof cause it to act upon the butts of thegrain, making the butts even.

The crank K isprovided with a series of holes, k, whereby its throw may be increased or decreased, as desired, and the rear link, L,

connecting with the butting-board, may be adjusted in either of the holes I of the plate L", thereby varying the distance of the band from the butt of the bundle, as desired, as

this adjustment throws the rear end of the butting-board nearer to or farther from the needle-arm, and when acting upon the butts it pushes the grain longitudinallyin accordance with said adjustment.

The relative longitudinal and lateral movements of the butting-board are substantially the same, no matter what adjustment may be given the rear link, L.

1? represents the location of the binder.

The needle-arm of the binder P is shown at- P, and is of the usual curved form. It is secured on cranked shaft S, and is operated as follows:

P is a doublefaced cam which operates the various portions of the binder and discharging 9o device, the inner cam, P thereof actuating the crank S", by means of pivoted arm S and link S to oscillate the needle-arm, while the outer cam, P rocks the arm 8", which (through the mediation of link A and crank A oscillates the dischargingdever A, which is provided with the loose hinged fingers a. These fingers are free to fold up when passing forward over the bundle, but when moving back ward catch and discharge the bundlefrom under the starting-lever S onto the ground at the rear of the machine, in the rear of the driving wheel, turning the bundle at right angles to the line of the rear of the machine.

T is the cord-box, and t is the band-tension device.

1? is a shaft connecting the cam P with the gearing R R, by which it receives its power of rotation from the driveshaft B. The bevel-gear R is loose upon the shaft P ,and isintermittently connected therewith through the agency of the clutch device shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The bevel-gear R is provided with an arm, P, furnished on its end with a roller, p This roller revolves about the shaft I? constantly while the machine is in motion, and has no effect until the lever B is pulled aside and the pawl P having the foot 19 is thrown down in front of the roller 19 by spring p", which is coiled about the fulcrum p of the said pawl, which is journaled to the crank shaped hub-piece P, secured to the shaft P 19 is a stop which prevents the shoe 19 being thrown too far outwardly. and the extension 19 projects sufficiently far to catch upon the lever It to trip the pawl P When the'lever R is drawn aside, the foot p is thrown down, and the next rotation of the gear R and the arm P" causes a rotation of the said shaft by coming in contact with the foot pfiand the rotation of said shaft will continue until the lever B is allowed to move back into position so as to catch upon the pawl and throw it out of contact with the roller. The lever B may be operated by the driver through the agency of the link 1' and crank r, secured to the footboard 7; or it may be actuated automatically by the starting-lever S by means of the crank S, secured thereto, and the rod S, hinged to said crank and having its free end bent so as to form a catch, 8', and a cam part, 8. When the starting-lever S is oscillated against the pressure of the coil-spring S the rod S is drawn backward, pulling back the lever B against the tension of the spring 1*, and upon a continuation of this backward movement after the binder mechanism has been thus put into operation the cam portion 3 of the rod S rides upward upon the supports 8 raising the rod S until the lever B is again freed, allowing it to be quickly drawn back and act to throw the pawl P out of contactwith the roller p on the end of the arm P, arresting the rotation of the shaft P and consequently the action of the binder.

Any other form of intermittent clutch device may be used, if desired; but I prefer the construction shown.

B is a clutch connecting the drive-wheel A with the drive-shaft B, and is thrown in or out of action by the spring-lever 13*, being held in either position by the said lever being placed upon either side of the catch 1).

U is the tongue or pole, and is hinged to the frame E and also braced by the link U.

Pivoted to the frame E at u is a lever, U its outer end being connected to the pole at a and its inner end being provided with the rack U having a guideslot, a

Meshing with the rack U is a pinion, U which is secured to a shaft, U passing through the slot m and journaled in the bearings V V, the latter of which is provided with a notched disk or wheel, o.

The end of the shaft U next to the drivers seat is provided with a spring crank-handle, which catches in the notch of the disk V and also acts as the crank to rotate the pinion II when raising or lowering the inner end of the lever U when tilting the platform to out high or low.

While I prefer the construction shown, as being found most suitable in practice to accomplish the objects desired, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself thereto, as it may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a harvesting-machine, the combination of the platform and the binding devices with a pivoted vibrating collecting-arm adapted to sweep across the platform from the grain side when collecting the cut grain, a reciprocating arm carryingapacker and adapted to receive the grain from the advancing collecting-arm and deliver it to the binder, the said packer being adapted to approach toward and recede from the collecting-arm, reel arms or heaters to deposit each gavel upon the platform,when

the said packer and collecting-arm are farthest from each other, and operating mechanism to actuate said parts, whereby their movements shall be properly timed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a harvesting-machine, the combination of the platform and the binding devices with a pivoted collecting arm adapted to sweep across the platform from the grain side when collecting the cut grain, a reciprocating arm carrying a packer adapted to approach the collecting-arm and receive the grain therefrom and to retreat and deliver it to the binder, and a vibrating butting-board arranged to act upon the butts of the grain during its transit to the binder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In aharvesting-machine, the combination of the platform and the binding deviceswith a pivoted collecting-arm adapted to sweep across the platform from the grain side while collecting the cut grain, a reciprocating arm carrying a packer adapted to approach the collecting-arm from the other side of the platform and receive the grain therefrom as said collecting-arm advances, and then to retreat and deliver it to the binder, and a vibrating butting-board arranged to act upon the butts of the grain during transit to the binder, reel arms or heaters to deposit each gavel upon the platform when the said packer and collecting-arm are farthest from each other, and operating mechanism to actuate said parts, whereby their movements shall be properly timed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a harvesting and binding machine, the platform and cutters, in combination with the usual gathering reel or rakes to deliver the cut grain back upon the platform, collecting devices adapted to sweep across the platform and collect each gavel before the next succeeding one falls and deliver it to the binder, an adjustable butting-board hinged or pivoted to the machine by parallel bars and operated by means of crank and pitman connected to the board between the points of connection of the bars with the board, substantially as described, to straighten the butts of the gavel during their passage to the binder and control the location of the band around the bundle, substantially as and for the purpose speci fied.

5. In a harvesting-machine, the platform, the binder, and suitable rake or reel arms to deliver the out grain onto the platform, in combination with a collecting device to pass across the platform and deliver the grain to one side, leaving the platform clear for the next gavel, and a packer adapted to reciprocate between the binder and collecting device, said packer being provided with two sets of prongs or fingers arranged one in advance of the other, each set actingon different gavels, whereby when one set is receiving the gavel from the collecting device the other set is receiving the gavel previously acted on by the first set, and whereby both gavels are simultaneously advanced toward the binder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A device for collecting cutgrain and moving itover a platform of a harvesting-machine, consisting of a vibrating arm to which one or more wheels armed with fingers or teeth are journaled, in combination with means to reciprocate said arm and means to prevent the toothed wheels rotating in one direction, but allowing of their rotating in the other direc tion when passing the pivoted collecting-arm, whereby they roll over the collected grain Without disturbing it, and in moving in the opposite direction they are locked against rotation and move the cut grain with them, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a device for collecting cut grain and moving it over a platform, the combination, with a reciprocating collecting-arm, of a vibrating arm to which one or more wheels armed with fingers or teeth are journaled, in combination with means to reciprocate said arm and means to prevent the toothed wheels rotating when the arm is moving toward the binder, springs or friction devices whereby the rotation of the wheel is prevented when the arm is moving in the other direction or gathering the grain, and until the resistance offered by the collected grain is greater than that offered by the spring or friction devices when the wheels are allowed to rotate and pass over the gavel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A packer for a harvester and binder, consisting of a vibrating arm having its free end provided with toothed wheels adapted to turn when passing the pivoted collecting-arm, and having pawls to prevent said wheels rotating when the arm is moved in the other direction, and projecting arms arranged in front of the wheels and provided with gravitating pawls, whereby as the packer-carrying arm is moved the toothed wheels move the grain forward, and upon the next movement in the same direction the pawls push the grain still farther forward, thereby keeping each gavel separate and causing an extended movement of the grain with a limited throw of packer-carrying arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A packer for a harvester and binder, consisting of a vibrating arm having its free end provided with toothed wheels adapted to turn when passing the pivoted collectingarm, andhaving pawls to prevent said wheels rotating when the arm is moved in the other direction, and projecting arms arranged in front of the wheels and provided with gravitating pawls, whereby as the packer-carrying arm is moved the wheels move the grain forward, and upon the next movement in the same direction the pawls receive and push the grain still farther forward, thereby keeping each gavel separate and causing an extended movement of the grain with a limited throw of packer, in comed to act upon the grain while in transit to the binder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. A packer consisting of the vibrating arm N ,having toothed wheel X, provided with ratchet-wheels X and springpawls Y, in combination with the arms WV, havinggravitating pawls WV, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. The packer consisting of vibrating arm N, provided with toothed wheels X, and arms WV, provided with gravitating piwls W, in combination with the vibrating hitting-board L, hinged to links L, operating-rod K, and crank K, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. The packer consisting of vibrating arm N, provided with toothed wheels X, and arms W, armed with gravitating pawls \V, in combination with the vibrating buttingboard L, hinged to links L, means to adjust the butting-board to or from the packer, operating rod K, and crank K, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. The packer consisting of vibrating arm N, provided with toothed wheels X, and arms \V, armed with gravitating pawls W, in combination with the vibrating butting-board L, hinged to links L, means to adjust the butting-board to or from the packer, operatingrod K, and crank K, and means to vary the throw of the said butting-board, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. The packer consisting of vibrating arm N, provided with toothed wheels X, and arms XV, provided with pawls V, in combination with vibrating butting-board L,hinged to links L,operating-rod K and crank K, the platform F, vibrating collectingarm M, provided with teeth m, gearing M N connecting the packercarrying arm N and collecting-arm M, crank O,and link 0, to vibrate said collecting-arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

15. The packer consisting of toothed wheels X and the projecting arms W, provided with pawls W, forming two sets of teeth to act upon the grain, in combination with the hinder or needle arm, and the guard G under which the packer works and through which the needle-arm descends, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. The packer consisting of toothed wheels X and the projecting arms \V, provided with pawls NV, forming two sets of teeth to act upon the grain, in combination with the bindor or needle arm, the vibrating collectingarm M, adapted to sweep the grain across the platform to the packer, and teeth Z on the platform, over which the grain is swept by the gathering'arm and by which it is prevented from moving back while the packercarrying and gathering arms recede to gather and carrya fresh gavel to the binder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

17. The combination of the collecting-arm bination withavibrating butting-board adaptl M, the packer-carrying arm N, and the neo- IZC dle-arm, and the devices for starting said needle-arm, and operating mechanism whereby the collecting, the packer-carrying, and the binder arms are caused to Work in unison, so that the needle-arm shall descend between the arms W \V W while holding the complement of grain for one bundle and before the first gavel for the next bundle is delivered to the binder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

W. E. STEARNS, XV. E. OI-IAFFEE. 

